Friday, 13 February 2009

Perak Crisis: Poll Found Perak Voters Disagreed with Sultan's Handling of the Crisis

The Merdeka Centre's recent pollof 507 residents showed Barisan Nasional's takeover of Perak has been given the thumbs-down by voters.

Sixty-six per cent (66%) of Perak residents it surveyed disapproved of using defectors to form a new government.

Seventy-sic per cent (76 %) of the respondents felt that the "people, through elections, should decide on who forms the government."

Seventy-four per cent (74%) said the assembly in Perak should have been dissolved and the people allowed to select a new government through a vote.

Sixty-two per cent (62%) said the Perak Sultan's handling of the case "does NOT reflect the will of the people of Perak".

59 per cent of the respondents feel that the political crisis in Perak would decrease support for Barisan Nasional.

Taken together, the poll by the Merdeka Centre suggests that Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir and the BN may occupy the seat of government but a significant number of Perakians may NOT accept their legitimacy to hold power.The survey findings indicate that many Perak voters also feel that the Ruler may have erred.

Some 507 registered voters were interviewed by telephone and the sampling was done randomly. The margin of error was about 4.5 per cent

The findings came as the government prepares for a bruising contest over the national parliamentary seat in Perak, and the seat in the state assembly in far-northern Kedah state, which have both become vacant.

Merdeka Centre pollster Ibrahim Suffian said however it was too early to gauge sentiment for the upcoming votes, which the Election Commission will fix dates for on Friday.

There is a roiling debate even among LAWYERS on the Sultan's decision, with the MAJORITY saying that he should have either agreed to the dissolution of the House or held off making any decision until a vote of no confidence against Nizar was taken in the assembly.